Alderwoman proposes landlord rule change

Lawmakers may amend law to determine which properties must follow state and federal eviction moratoriums.

KINGSTON, N.Y. » Rather than seeking to extend the state’s current moratorium on residential evictions, city lawmakers could instead amend Kingston’s landlord registration law to determine which properties would be subject to the state’s eviction moratorium and which would have to follow a longer federal moratorium.

During an online meeting Wednesday, the Common Council’s special housing committee discussed a proposal put forward by Alderwoman Michele Hirsch to potentially extend by 30 days the state’s current 90day moratorium on residential evictions. Hirsch, D-Ward 9, said that, in researching the matter further, she discovered a federal moratorium exists that would apply to properties that have a mortgage through the Federal Housing Administration, or through the Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae programs.

Hirsch said the state’s moratorium is currently set to expire June 20, but the federal moratorium ends July 25.

“We have no idea in the city of Kingston how many tenants fall under the tenant eviction moratorium date of July 25,” Hirsch said after the meeting. She said instead of extending any moratorium, she would propose the Common Council amend the city’s landlord registration so that property owners would be required to inform Kingston officials about what type of mortgage they have, if any.

That information would then allow the city to educate property owners and tenants about the moratoriums that apply to them, Hirsch said.

“This is really just more educational,” Hirsch said. The information could also be used in the city’s housing court if a tenant faces eviction, she added.

Hirsch’s proposal will go to the council’s Laws and Rules Committee during a special meeting to be held online beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, May 4. If advanced by the committee, it would go to the full council for consideration on Tuesday, May 5.

A separate part of her proposal that would give tenants up to 180 days to make arrears rent payments, provided that post-moratorium payments remain current, is also being amended, Hirsch said. She said state law already allows a housing court judge to give tenants up to a year to make arrears rental payments, so long as they remain up to date on their current rent. Hirsch said that law requires a municipality to create an escrow account into which the rents must be paid.

Hirsch said she wants to research the matter further and find a way for Kingston to create such an account and possibly use federal relief funding to help tenants who fell behind on their rents due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.